MUD games, for me are a very rewarding type of game where there are no restraints put on your character and roleplay is everywhere and player driven. You will never find the immersion that comes with playing a MUD game in any other type of game and the multitude of things you can do are almost endless. My current series of Blog which focuses mainly on my MUD game of choice, and for me what is the best MMORPG 2012 which is Midkemia Online, produced by the King of MUD producers, The Iron Realms.

Combat can be very challenging and rewarding in a MUD, the multitude of classes, skillsets and defenses along with the numerous ways to combine said skills into tactics for combat makes for fantastic PVP. Readers of my Blog will know I am currently showcasing the different skillsets open to each class and today I will be looking at the Specialization skills offered by the Soldier class. See previous entries for the Rogue and Rogue specials followed by the primary skillsets of the Soldier.

The most used Specialization for the Soldiers of Midkemia is Brutality. The reason I say it is the most used however is not due to the superiority of the skillset but the restricted nature of the second specialization open to soldiers.

Obliterate is a damaging soldier skill that increases in power the more adrenaline the soldier has, A Brutal soldier has little trouble in gaining Adrenaline in combat.

Brutality is the combination of brutal strikes and debilitating roars which build up physical afflictions on the opponent, stunning them and breaking bones whilst draining their adrenaline thus further debilitating them in battle. Brutality is named for the nature of its attacks which when coupled with the primary skillset of a Soldier can cause a great deal of damage while building up the afflictions needed for one of the soldiers many ways of finishing a melee. While a very effective skillset though, it is a little lacking in the Roleplay utility that comes with Swordmastery though from a skill mechanic point of view it makes up for this by not having the upkeep associated with the Growing and Protecting of a Great Tree to power attacks. Said magic power being limited in how much can be stored in the blade per day.

The Great Trees of Elvandar

The second specialization currently open to the Soldier is Swordmastery. Swordmastery is the ancient art of the Queensguard Eledhel and is taught deep within the forests of Elvandar. The Eledhel are very protective of this skillset and as a result only one person not of Elvandar or allied with the Eledhel have managed to gain access to the skillset due to the manner in which it is taught.

Windsong Dance when used to travel to another person in the same forest area.

Swordmastery combines the Eledhel nature magic and great trees with a Greatsword imbued with the power of the Forest to deliver unrelenting attacks of great power to beat down the opponent whilst drawing power from the greatsword to simultaneously unleash magical attacks on their foe. The Skillset as a whole is very RP driven for the Eledhel and allows the Swordsmaster to blend in with the trees, rendering him or herself invisible and then using a skill called Windsong Dance they are able to instantly flow to any other person within the same forest environment as themselves to either aid an ally or intercept a foe. The power utilized by the Swordmaster is drawn from a bonded great tree in the Forest of Elvandar which generates magic over time which can be infused into the Swordmasters Greatsword. The tending of the trees and the planting and bonding is provided by the Spellweavers guild in Elvandar and promotes cross guild Roleplay for the Eledhel involved.

One can’t say which of the two specializations are better as each skillset is balanced against the others to avoid OP classes. The great thing about PvP in Midkemia Online is that it mostly comes down to skill over level and a skilled player will generally win out over those less adept. So what are you waiting for?? Come play Midkemia Online!!